Live-In Care In Horsham
Keeping Horsham families at home for nearly thirty years
Cheriton Homecare has been arranging live-in care in Horsham and the surrounding villages for almost three decades. Long enough to know what it takes to reach a morning appointment at Horsham Hospital from Southwater, or why a household out past Billingshurst needs a carer who drives.
Wherever possible the same carer stays with you, supported by a care manager who knows the area. Our carers work right across West Sussex, from Horsham and the villages around it down to Brighton and the coast. If you’re still working out what live-in care involves, that guide is the place to start.
Words from families who know our care firsthand
Live-in care services we provide across Horsham
A live-in carer does as much or as little as the situation calls for, and the day-to-day duties shift as circumstances change.
Personal care
Washing, dressing, continence, and mobility, at the pace the person sets rather than the pace a visiting rota allows.
Companionship
Conversation and quiet company through the day, plus the things that keep someone part of local life: walks in Horsham Park, the Saturday market, lunch with a friend.
Medication reminders
Prompting and keeping track of what’s been taken, with your carer coordinating directly with the GP surgery when prescriptions change.
Alzheimer's disease & dementia care
Live-in support suits memory loss particularly well, because the surroundings stay familiar and the carer stays the same. Ours are trained in dementia care and matched to the person rather than the diagnosis.
Palliative care
Where someone wants to stay at home to the end, a live-in carer makes that possible, working alongside the district nursing team. Support can be increased quickly as needs change.
Household chores and assistance
Cleaning, laundry, meals, and keeping the house running. Out in the villages that extends to the shopping runs and appointment trips that get difficult without a driver.
Why families here choose us over a national agency
Most live-in care around Horsham is arranged by national agencies that match a carer from a database and manage the case from another county. We work the other way round. Someone from our team comes to the house, you meet the carer before they move in, and the manager overseeing your case is the person you can ring by name.
- Rated Outstanding in Caring by the Care Quality Commission, a tier reached by only a small number of UK providers
- Every carer arrives with an enhanced DBS check and keeps training throughout their time with us
- You meet your carer first, through a written profile and a conversation, so nobody arrives as a stranger
- Your care plan reflects how the day actually unfolds, and shifts as health needs change
- We already work with the local clinical teams, including district GP surgeries, community nursing, and the discharge coordinators at Horsham Hospital
- A village placement is a different job to a town one. A house out toward Steyning needs a carer who drives and a plan for the weekly shop. A flat in town doesn’t
- Continuity is managed, not hoped for. Digital records keep families informed, a care manager checks in regularly, and holiday cover is arranged in advance with someone you already know
What live-in care gives back that a care home can't
Whether home is a flat in the town centre, a cottage out toward Henfield, or a house on the edge of Southwater, live-in care lets the place stay the place.
- The same four walls. Familiar surroundings matter most when memory or mobility starts to slip.
- One carer, not a rota of twenty. The same person day after day, learning what your mum likes in her tea.
- Life carries on. The dog stays. The garden stays. The Tuesday morning crossword stays.
- Family come and go as they please. No visiting hours, no signing in. Grandchildren can pop round after school.
- Staying put means staying local. The same GP surgery, the same pharmacy, the same faces in town. Residential beds are where they are, not where your family is.
- Often less than you’d think. Live-in care can come in up to 30% cheaper than a residential placement, and couples see the biggest gap. There are other advantages worth weighing before you decide.
Live-in, 24-hour, or visiting care: Which one do you need?
Live-in care and 24-hour care get used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. A live-in carer lives in the home, takes scheduled breaks, and either sleeps or stays awake overnight. Where someone needs attention with no gaps at all, that means two carers in rotation.
Visiting care works differently again. A carer arrives at set times, helps with specific tasks, then leaves. It suits someone mostly independent, though out in the villages it means a carer driving to you several times a day, in all weathers.
Request a printed brochure to browse with your loved one at your leisure and find out more about live-in care.
Before anyone moves in, here's what happens
When time is tight, like after a fall or a discharge from Horsham Hospital or the wards at Crawley, we can move within days. When it isn’t, we go at your pace.
- We talk it through. A call, a message, or a callback at a time that suits you. We answer what we can, ask what we need to, and set out what comes next.
- We come to the house. Richard Barnett, our Registered Manager, or Nastasha, our Field Care Supervisor, visits in person. Alongside the medical picture and the daily routines, they clock the things a form never captures: where a carer can park, how far the pharmacy is, whether the stairs are a problem.
- You choose who moves in. We put forward written profiles and you ask whatever you want before deciding. For houses out in the villages, we shortlist carers who drive.
- Your carer settles in. They arrive on the agreed date, and Daisy, our Care Coordinator, stays in touch through that first week while everyone finds their feet.
- Somebody keeps watching. A case manager reviews how the placement is going, and senior management review the case managers. It’s the layer most agencies skip.
What you'll pay, with nothing hidden
Live-in care is charged weekly. The rate covers a dedicated carer in the home, with one-to-one support around the clock. No hourly add-ons, no hidden fees.
- From £1,190 a week for one person
- From £1,476 a week for couples sharing a home
Your final rate depends on the level of care needed and how the nights are covered.
- Sleeping nights. The carer sleeps in their own room and is on hand if needed. This suits most people.
- Waking nights. The carer stays awake and on duty overnight, at a higher weekly rate.
That’s the private rate. You may not be paying all of it yourself.
How live-in care is funded
We support both privately and publicly funded arrangements, and we’ll help you understand the routes available.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare. We’re experienced in supporting CHC-funded packages, which may cover the full cost where clinical needs are significant.
- Local authority funding. West Sussex County Council may contribute, based on a means-tested assessment.
- Direct Payments. Council funding paid directly to you, so you choose the provider.
- Attendance Allowance. Not means-tested, so savings and income don’t affect it. It won’t cover a live-in rate on its own, but it’s regularly missed.
You don't need to know what you're asking for yet
Most people who ring us are somewhere in the middle of a bad week. A fall, a letter from the hospital, a parent who has quietly stopped coping.
Almost nobody calls knowing whether they want live-in care, a few visits a day, or something else. We’ll ask about the situation, tell you honestly what we think, and if a different kind of care fits better, we’ll say so. No pressure, no scripts.
What families ask before they decide
Do I need to provide a separate bedroom for the live-in carer?
Yes. Your carer needs their own private bedroom with somewhere to store personal belongings. A separate bathroom isn’t required, but it helps.
How quickly can live-in care start in Horsham?
In urgent cases, like a hospital discharge, we can place a carer within 48 to 72 hours. Standard placements take one to two weeks from initial assessment.
Do you cover the villages around Horsham, or just the town?
Both. We place carers out through Southwater, Billingshurst, Storrington, and Warnham, and further afield toward Burgess Hill and Horley. For rural addresses we shortlist carers who drive.
Can my carer drive me to appointments around Horsham?
Yes, if your carer holds a valid licence and your insurance covers a named driver. Some clients prefer the carer drive their own car instead.
Can I arrange live-in care for just a few weeks?
Yes. Short-term live-in care is common after a hospital stay, during family holidays, or as a trial run before committing to anything longer term.
